Friday, May 18, 2012

Former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim has made an impassioned call to the people to support the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Give Najib the chance and time to see his transformation programmes currently being implemented, come into fruition, he said.

Tunku Abdul Aziz who quit the party on Monday to defend his stand against holding the Bersih 3.0 demonstration on April 28, repeated his view that the transformation programmes were good for the country.

“What the prime minister has done now is the right thing and we need to support him,” he said, adding that Najib’s transformation process for change would certainly take time.

“By definition, the process will take a little bit of time,” he said while stressing that this included Najib’s administration on improving the democratic process of the country.

Asked for his views on whether Najib’s leadership would receive the support of the people in the coming general election with the changes he has made, Tunku Abdul Aziz said: “I am not a political analyst and I do not know how to speculate. But the process will take time, given the chance. “

“In the past, we have been screaming that the government did not do this and that, but now, the government is listening, that is why I say, there was no need to protest... (now) they want Bersih 4.0... what else do they want?,” he asked.

He said the protest was held to attract the attention of the people. (The aim of a protest is to draw attention and raise awareness).

“Do you think the government did not see what the people wanted? In the assembly, 98 per cent protested to change the law but there were two more per cent... they have other agenda... to create a riot,” he noted.

Tunku Abdul Aziz also referred to the action of certain opposition political parties, which seized the protest from the non-governmental organiser to create a riot, so much so that several policemen and members of the public were injured.

Asked for his opinion on Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Tunku Abdul Aziz said, since he became a columnist for The New Sunday Times, he did not agree with his style of politics and that he had written an article, “Stop the theatrics, Anwar, let Malaysians get on with their life”.

The article touched on rumours that the federal government would fall to the opposition on September 16, 2008, with a large number of BN members of parliament jumping to join the opposition.

“Hopping is not my game... I despise people who do that... we contest under, let’s say, Umno banner and later hop to Anwar... I do not agree. If you want to jump, resign and hold a by-election to contest on an independent ticket, then we will see who will win,” he said.

Tunku Abdul Aziz, a corporate figure and activist against corruption, was the vice-chairman of Transparency International.

He assisted in setting up Transparency International-Malaysia, joined DAP after the March 2008 general election and was appointed vice-chairman and later made senator in July 2009.

However, his term as a member of the senate representing DAP was not extended by the party leadership after he made open statements against Bersih, which was supported by his party and Pakatan Rakyat.

On whether he would review his decision to leave DAP, Tunku Abdul Aziz made it clear the decision was final.

“(As) I have said (before), if I get out, I am out... end of story,” he said.

When asked whether he received any comments or feedback from other Malay DAP members after deciding to leave the party, he replied in the negative.

On former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s comments that he was surprised that Tunku Abdul Aziz joined the DAP, he said he joined the party in his struggle against corruption and promote integrity in the government and business sectors.

He had served in the corporate sector and was a Bank Negara adviser before becoming an activist, said Tunku Abdul Aziz.

“I joined DAP, not to become a politician... if I had wanted to become a politician, I would have joined after college... if I wanted to join Umno, I would have done so, a long time ago... I thought I am better without being politically linked... non-partisan,” he said.

He said at the moment, he would take a long rest, shut his telephone and spend time breeding ornamental fish.